Gus Gustafson 2nd class Petty Officer

I have played many pool games with Gus over the past several years and learned his story one day while shooting at Indian River Senior Center. During October 1962, the world was on the brink of nuclear war as the Soviet Union transported nuclear missiles to be installed in Cuba, just 90 miles from the white beaches of Florida. U. S. Navy ships were ordered to stop those Soviet ships by any means necessary. President John F. Kennedy spoke directly to those young sailors, emphasizing the urgency of preventing the ships from reaching Cuba. Several of President Kennedy’s cabinet members later admitted they never expected to see another sunrise. One of those young sailors was Gus Gustafson. The sailors involved in the quarantine were sworn to secrecy for 50 years, and many passed away without receiving credit for risking their lives during one of the scariest times in our history.

Listen to Gus describe his time on the front line of a pending nuclear confrontation.